On this World Oceans Day, we are delighted to celebrate the achievement of this local and global community of ray advocates! In conjunction with other key stakeholders (including the Victorian Fisheries Authority, Futurefish, Boating Industry Association of Victoria and Fishcare), the Project Banjo action group is a proud co-recipient of the Victorian Coastal Award 2018 for the Planning and Management Category, recognising our collaborative efforts in 'Safeguarding Stingrays'. In the awards ceremony presentation video, special mention was made of the 33,000 people who signed this change.org petition. This award is truly a testament to the collective efforts of every person who cared enough to take any action - large or small - to improve the outcomes for the rays of Victoria. We acknowledge the contributions of all of our partners in this work - in particular the Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford, VFA Executive Director Travis Dowling; VFA Director of Management, Policy, Science and Licensing Dallas D'Silva; VFA Director of Education and Enforcement Ian Parks and VFA Principal Policy Analyst Dr Jo Klemke for their tireless efforts, as well as VFA education and enforcement officers and social media coordinators. We also acknowledge the efforts and contributions of Fishcare State Coordinator Sarah Van Stokrom, Futurefish Director David Kramer, and BIAV Advocacy and Membership Services Manager Ben Scullin. Within the Project Banjo action group, there are far too many individuals to name who have made invaluable contributions. The Executive Committee including PT Hirschfield, Jacqui Younger and previous committee member Sam Gummer are deeply grateful to the thousands of community members who have supported this campaign in a myriad of vital ways. Although ongoing work remains to be done in the areas of education, enforcement and cultural change, this award is a testament to the power of unified purpose and vision, and the capacity of advocacy groups, government bodies and independent associations to work together both initially and in a continuous capacity towards ever-improved outcomes. We look forward to continuing to work proactively alongside these individuals and agencies until the problems we are now addressing become obsolete. This award recognises the powerful outcomes achieved so far in safeguarding the rays of Victoria that had previously been subject to so much senseless slaughter. Please be inspired by what has been achieved to date to continue to advocate for the welfare of rays and other marine life in your own local regions and beyond. We are grateful for the role that YOU personally have played in the success of this campaign. Let's celebrate this WORLD OCEANS DAY by considering what we can each do next as advocates for The Ocean and for the marine life that inhabit her. You can read more about this award that has been presented by the Victorian State Government here under the 'Planning and Management' tab: http://www.vcc.vic.gov.au/page/awards